Act One
Act Two
Act Three
Election
≈ 99 minutes
Getting ready for the day
Mr. McAllister misses the trash can
Mr. McAllister loves his job
Freeze frame on Tracy's face
One more thing you should know ...
Tracy tells her side
Dave's downfall
Tracy released from freeze frame
Tracy gives her signatures to Mr. McAllister
Mr. M goes home to his wife
Mr. M watches porn in his basement
We meet Paul, a sincere idiot
Mr. M pitches Paul on running for president
Tracy learns that Paul is running
Tammy and Lisa
Paul and Lisa
Tammy announces her candidacy
Mr. M helps Linda
Mr. M and Diane
Election assembly
Crisis meeting of faculty
Tammy enjoys suspension
Paul delivers Tammy's homework
Tracy tries to fix her sign
Tracy covers up her crime
Mr. M helps Linda with her plumbing
Lisa complains to principal about signs
Mr. McAllister interrogates Tracy
Tammy confesses
Mr. McAllister's unbearable day
Mr. McAllister's rendezvous
Tammy's parents confront her
Mr. McAllister returns from motel
So many prayers
Mr. M spends the night in his car
Pick Flick
The vote
Ballots delivered to Mr. M
The recount
Tracy peeks in the window
Mr. McAllister throws the election
Larry protests the election results
Election winners announced
Mr. McAllister dines alone
Tracy cries
Mr. M tries to return to Diane
The reckoning
The aftermath
Tracy at Georgetown
Mr. M's new life in NYC
Mr. M visits Washington DC
Trash
Shower
Janitor
Tape
Time: 01:27:10–01:30:40
The reckoning
Mr. M wakes up refreshed, ready to
start anew. But he is called to
principal's office as soon as he gets to
school. The Janitor's revenge. They
have the two trashed ballots. He
resigns. Diane divorces him. All he gets
is the car, and no respect from anyone.
It's time to leave town.
Time: 01:33:40–01:34:20
Tracy at Georgetown
After going off to college she still
doesn't fit in. She's still Tracy.
Time: 01:36:30–01:39:10
Mr. M visits Washington DC
Sees Tracy getting into limousine;
throws his drink at the car and runs
away. Great VO here. Then back to the
museum, where a mini-Tracy is way too
eager to answer his question. He
ignores her.
Time: 01:34:20–01:36:30
Mr. M's new life in NYC
He has a new girlfriend and he's
working in education again: Leading
tours at the natural history museum.
Time: 01:30:40–01:33:40
The aftermath
Paul is homecoming king, among other
successes. Tammy finds a new soul
mate at Catholic school. Tracy serves
her year as president. She narrates that
she's sometimes lonely. She thinks
about Dave, wonders what he’s doing
now. Maybe he finally finished his novel.
Nope, he’s pricing spray cans at a
hardware store. Hardly anybody signed
her yearbook.
Time: 01:26:10–01:27:10
Mr. M tries to return to Diane
She shuts the door in his face, so he
goes back to the motel and beats up a
vending machine.
Time: 01:25:00–01:26:10
Tracy cries
Her mother tries to comfort her, but
she's inconsolable. Take one of my
pills. Maybe you should have made
more posters.
Time: 01:22:30–01:25:00
Mr. McAllister dines alone
Paul and family ask Mr. McAllister to join
their celebration, but he just wants to
be left alone. Paul is concerned about
Tracy.
Time: 01:20:20–01:22:30
Election winners announced
Paul wins. Tracy is stunned. Paul is
stunned.
Time: 01:19:20–01:20:20
Larry protests the election results
Principal shuts him down.
Time: 01:17:45–01:19:20
Mr. McAllister throws the election
He has the same count as Larry, but
then he sees Tracy bunny-hopping in
celebration. He can't take it, so he
throws out two ballots.
Time: 01:17:00–01:17:45
Tracy peeks in the window
Gets the signal that she won. Jumps
around excitedly in the hall.
Time: 01:15:45–01:17:00
The recount
It's Tracy by one vote, so Mr. McAllister
agrees to do the second count.
Time: 01:13:30–01:15:45
Ballots delivered to Mr. M
He couldn't care less. Tells the election
committee to count the ballots
themselves. He goes off to deal with his
own problems. He call Linda and she
says he took advantage of her, then
she hangs up on him.
Time: 01:11:30–01:13:30
The vote
Principal announces that Tammy is off
the ballot. Tracy votes for herself. Gets
her picture taken as she votes. Paul
doesn't feel right voting for himself, so
he votes for Tracy.
Time: 01:09:30–01:11:30
Pick Flick
Tracy gives a cupcake to Mr. McAllister.
He looks terrible. Takes it and eats it
without a word. He takes a shower,
angry and upset, talking to himself,
mocking the students. He calls Linda
but there's no answer. He loves her but
she ruined his life.
Time: 01:08:30–01:09:30
Mr. M spends the night in his car
Eye swollen shut from the bee sting.
He's miserable. He pisses on a tree in
Linda's yard.
Time: 01:06:30–01:08:30
So many prayers
Tracy prays, insisting Jesus help her
win because she deserves it. Tammy
prays just for practice. She wants Lisa
to feel bad and apologize and know she
still loves her. She wants Paul to win
election and not that cunt Tracy. She
also wants a pair of leather pants and
to be friends with Madonna. Paul prays:
Just thankful for all his blessings. He's
worried about Tammy. Please help her
be a happier person.
Time: 01:04:30–01:06:30
Mr. McAllister returns from motel
He gives up waiting for Linda and goes
home, only to find Linda with Diane. Not
a word is spoken, but we know she has
confessed everything. "Okay," Mr. M
says, and he leaves.
Time: 01:03:30–01:04:30
Tammy's parents confront her
They're going to pull her from Carver
and put her into Immaculate Heart.
Maybe the nuns can straighten you out.
She can barely contain her joy — it's
exactly what she wants.
Time: 01:01:00–01:03:30
Mr. McAllister's rendezvous
He goes to pick up Linda but she's not
there. A bee stings him in the eye. He
goes to the motel to wait. He calls Linda
but there's no answer.
Time: 00:59:00–01:01:00
Mr. McAllister's unbearable day
Excited to see Linda again, he hurries
his work at school and gives a pop quiz
so he can skip out to prepare the motel
room. Rushes back to class just in time.
Time: 00:57:30–00:59:00
Tammy confesses
Mr. McAllister doesn't believe her, but
she has the proof: the posters she saw
Tracy throw into the trash. Tracy
panics, thinking she's caught, but when
she sees Tammy has confessed she
gets mad: "You're going to pay for my
posters!" Mr. M tells Tracy to quit while
she's ahead.
Time: 00:53:20–00:57:30
Mr. McAllister interrogates Tracy
He's sure she tore down the posters,
but she denies it. He brings up Dave.
She burns him for that.
Time: 00:52:00–00:53:20
Lisa complains to principal about
signs
Mr. M is late for school and he walks
into a crisis about the vandalized signs.
Paul thinks it must be an honest
mistake. Lisa blames Tammy. Principal
puts Mr. McAllister in charge of the
investigation.
Time: 00:49:20–00:52:00
Mr. M helps Linda with her
plumbing
The day before the election. Linda gives
Mr. M a hug, they kiss, they make out
on the floor. "Take me to that motel like
you wanted." They agree to meet after
school. Mr. M imagines himself in a
sporty Italian convertible.
Time: 00:47:50–00:49:20
Tracy covers up her crime
She takes the posters to a distant
dumpster, but Tammy sees.
Time: 00:45:20–00:47:50
Tracy tries to fix her sign
Accidentally tears it. Gets angry and
tears down Paul's signs.
Time: 00:44:15–00:45:20
Paul delivers Tammy's homework
He's incredibly nice and thoughtful and
oblivious.
Time: 00:43:00–00:44:00
Tammy enjoys suspension
Tammy narrates as she rides her bike.
Expulsion sounds good. She watches a
soccer game at all-girls Immaculate
Heart. It looks like her kind of place.
Time: 00:42:00–00:43:00
Crisis meeting of faculty
What to do about Tammy? Suspension.
Time: 00:36:20–00:42:00
Election assembly
Tracy's speech is earnest but
uninspiring. The audience is rude. Paul
gets great applause to start but then
his speech is nervous and terrible.
Tammy gets a rude reception but then
gives an honest speech that insults the
entire election process. She promises
to dismantle student government so
there are no more of these stupid
assemblies. The crowd goes wild. They
love her.
Time: 00:35:30–00:36:10
Mr. M and Diane
Mr. McAllister tries to get Diane
pregnant. They haven't had any luck.
As he's having sex with Diane he
imagines Linda, then Tracy. "Do it, Jim.
Fill me up." It seems to work.
Time: 00:32:00–00:35:00
Mr. M helps Linda
Mr. McAllister and Diane help Linda now
that Dave is gone. Mr. M checks out her
butt in her mom jeans. He looks down
her shirt as he changes a lightbulb. He
mows her lawn. He makes a pass at her
after a shopping trip. Asks if they
should get a room at a motel. She's
offended.
Time: 00:31:00–00:32:00
Tammy announces her candidacy
Tracy complains. Paul complains. Mr.
McAllister says Lisa is eligible, and she
has to be allowed to run.
Time: 00:30:00–00:31:00
Paul and Lisa
Paul narrates: "I sure was surprised the
day Lisa Flanagan asked me for a ride
home and ended up blowing me. I
mean, life is so wierd. First Lisa has a
big fight with my sister, and the next
thing you know she’s my girlfriend."
Time: 00:26:20–00:30:00
Tammy and Lisa
Lisa is breaking up with Tammy. Paul
walks in on them, oblivious to to the
tension. Tells Tammy he's running for
president. Lisa leaves and Tammy runs
after her. Tammy narrates "It’s not like
i’m a lesbian or anything. I’m attracted
to the person. It’s just that all the
people I've ever been attracted to
happen to be girls." Loves Lisa, but now
Lisa wants to hurt her and she knows
exactly what to do …
Time: 00:23:45–00:25:50
Tracy learns that Paul is running
Tracy hanging her signs. Sees a sign
for Paul. She's on the warpath now.
"Who put you up to this?" Mr. McAllister.
She says she welcomes the challenge,
but she's extremely agitated.
Time: 00:21:45–00:23:45
Mr. M pitches Paul on running for
president
Mr. McAllister really has to lead him to
it. Pears. No, apples. What if you could
have an orange?
Time: 00:20:30–00:21:30
We meet Paul, a sincere idiot
Paul narrates: "I was so mad at God
when I broke my leg at Shadow Ridge
over Christmas break." That put him out
of sports for at least a couple years,
and he feels like his life has no purpose.
What did God want from him? Then
destiny walks up and taps you on the
shoulder. Literally. It's Mr. McAllister.
Time: 00:19:20–00:20:30
Mr. M watches porn in his
basement
It's a cheerleader/football player thing.
Tracy still intrudes on his thoughts. He
needs a way out, and it comes to him:
Paul.
Time: 00:18:10–00:19:20
Mr. M goes home to his wife
He narrates that he doesn't blame
Tracy for what happened with Dave; he
admires her, even though she gets on
his nerves. "Thank God for Diane …
After nine years of marriage we were
closer than ever." They're not at all
close, though, and now he can't stop
thinking of Tracy.
Time: 00:16:25–00:18:00
Tracy gives her signatures to Mr.
McAllister
She's eager to get started on her
campaign, but he just wants to go
home. She tells him when she wins the
presidency they'll be spending a lot of
time together, and she wants that time
to be harmonious and productive. This
makes him uncomfortable.
Time: 00:15:00–00:16:00
Tracy released from freeze frame
She's disappointed that she didn't get
to finish her answer to the question
about morals and ethics. Mr. McAllister
now in freeze frame as Tracy narrates:
Says she feels sorry for him, stuck in
the same room wearing the same
clothes and saying the same things all
his life while his students go on to good
colleges.
Time: 00:12:10–00:15:00
Dave's downfall
Dave tells Mr. M he's in love with Tracy.
Mr. M says it's wrong. Dave's plans to
run away with Tracy are foiled and he
loses his job. Linda divorces him and he
moves away to live with his parent's
ending his role in Tracy's story.
Time: 00:09:00–00:12:00
Tracy tells her side
Tracy narrates about her relationship
with Dave, and how it was based on
mutual respect and admiration, as we
see him driving her to his house,
making her duck down in his car, and
seducing her to the tune of Three
Times A Lady.
Time: 00:08:20–00:09:00
One more thing you should know ...
In one of the greatest inciting incidents
of all time, we cut to Dave Novotny as
he says of Tracy: "Her pussy gets so
wet, you can’t believe it." Mr. M narrates
background on his best friend, Dave
Novotny, as we see Dave, his wife
Linda, Mr. M and his wife Dianne
socializing.
Time: 00:07:00–00:08:20
Freeze frame on Tracy's face
Mr. McAllister's narration continues. "I'd
seen a lot of students come and go
over the years, but Tracy Flick, she was
a special case." Then Tracy narrates
about her achievements. She got
involved in everything, as long as she
could be in charge. Back to Mr.
McAllister: "Now Tracy Flick was poised
to win the presidency of the student
body, and so far she was running
unopposed."
Time: 00:04:40–00:07:00
Mr. McAllister loves his job
Mr. M narrates: "It's hard to remember
how the whole thing started." Talks
about how much loves being a teacher
over scenes of his work and his
involvement with the school. Proud to
make a difference in his students' lives.
We see him teaching a lesson on
morals and ethics. He's reluctant to call
on Tracy, who is overly eager to answer
his question to the class.
Time: 00:03:20
Mr. McAllister misses the trash
can
Janitor witnesses the mess. Janitor will
hold a grudge.
Time: 00:01:10–00:04:40
Getting ready for the day
There is no dialogue, no narration,
through this entire sequence of Mr.
McAllister preparing for the school day
while Tracy gets her campaign table
ready. Mr. McAllister cleans out the
fridge in the teacher's lounge, then
finds Tracy seated at her table, waiting
for the students to arrive. At 4 minutes
in we have our first words as Tracy and
Mr. McAllister exchange greetings. Then
she begins her V.O. narration about Mr.
McAllister trying to interfere with
destiny.
Time: 00:00:00–00:25:50
ACT ONE
Set-up: We meet Mr. M and Tracy and
learn of the dynamic between them.
This conflict inspires Mr. M to pitch Paul
on running for president against Tracy,
which pushes us into Act Two.
Time: 00:25:50–01:13:30
ACT TWO
The conflicts woven through the second
act deal with the election campaigns of
Tracy, Paul, and Tammy, along with Mr.
M's more "adult" concerns. The turning
point for him is when he helps Linda
with her plumbing, sending his own life
spiraling down the drain.
Time: 01:13:30–01:39:10
ACT THREE
The resolution comes with the vote and
Mr. M's decision, at his lowest point, to
throw the election. But as Tracy said at
the very start, if you try to interfere with
destiny, you'll just suffer.
TAPE
In another example of something minor
escalating into something major,
Tracy's early insistence that the tape
be placed on the back of the sign is the
reason its corner came down, which
leads to her tearing her own sign, which
leads to her tantrum, which gives
Tammy her opportunity to confess.
JANITOR
Mr. M suffers big repercussions for his
carelessness in cleaning out the fridge.
The janitor's grudge is what brings him
down in the end.
SHOWER
Compare Mr. M's two contrasting
shower scenes, first where he's bright
and fresh and full of hope for the day,
then later when he's at his lowest point,
muttering and mocking his students.
TRASH
Trash is a recurring motif throughout
the movie from the opening sequence
when Mr. M cleans out the fridge to the
end when he chucks his drink at Tracy's
limo. Often what gets thrown away in
one scene comes back to haunt a
character later.